Awareness Campaigns

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What is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone is a solid piece of material
that forms in a kidney when high levels of
certain substances are present in the urine.
These substances are normally found in the
urine and do not cause problems at lower
levels.

How are kidney stones treated?

What the kidney stones are made of, along
with their size, affects treatment. Kidney
stones may be treated by your regular doctor
or by a urologist—a doctor who specializes
in the urinary tract. Treatments may include

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This publication is not copyrighted. The Clearinghouse encourages people to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

The NIDDK Awareness and Prevention Series is designed to make you ask yourself, “Could this be me or someone I care for?” So take a closer look. Additional information on this topic and other titles in the series is available through the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse or on the Internet at www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov.